New York Yankees: Severino Gives Bullpen a Break, Dominates For Eight Innings

New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino is turning his career around in 2017.

Just about one year ago, New York Yankees pitcher Luis Severino’s career as a starter was in free fall.

At 0-6, he was relegated to the bullpen, but a year later, he has righted the ship and become arguably the best starting pitcher for the Yankees. His improvement was again on display in last night’s 3-0 win over the Kansas City Royals, were Severino pitched eight innings of scoreless baseball, surrendering just four hits while striking out seven batters in the process.

Severino’s eight-inning performance could not have come at a better time for a depleted Yankee bullpen that has suffered thanks to the fact that no Yankee starter had gone a full seven innings since earlier this month.

Thanks to a consistent fastball and the development of a solid third pitch in his changeup, Severino has morphed himself into a pitcher that opposing hitters don’t like to face.

According to ESPN, Severino has given up just 19 earned runs in 55 innings this season ,while striking out 61 batters, good for a tie for ninth place in the American League with Michael Pineda. He’s walked just 14 batters and has the eighth best WHIP at 1.08 in the American League.

Severino can attribute his success this season to his devastating and consistent fastball and the development of a changeup to compliment that fastball and his slider.

His fastball, typically clocking anywhere from 97 to 100 miles per hour, is almost un-hittable. He can paint the corners with it, or simply blow it by hitters right down the middle with little to no worry of them making solid contact. His fastball also stays consistently fast throughout the game, and the radar gun still clocks some pitches at 99 mph as he enters the sixth and seventh innings of a game.

Starting pitchers throw slower over the course of a game as their pitch count rises, and that’s why so many starters get hit more often later in games. A pitch that clocks in at 94 or 95 mph after that pitcher has thrown over 97 mph consistently looks much more hittable in the batter’s box, but opposing hitters don’t have that luxury with Severino, which is part of the reason why he’s been so great this season.

Severino has also improved thanks to the development of a change up, which compliments that fastball as well as his slider. His primary pitches last season were a fastball and a slider, and he didn’t really have a third pitch that a starter needs to keep hitters guessing. Relievers typically rely on just two pitches, but starters need more, and Severino’s lack of a quality third pitch was a big reason why he was hit so hard.

He worked on his changeup throughout the off-season, and so far it’s been a great addition to his arsenal. He can throw a fastball and then freeze a hitter by coming back at him with an 89 mph changeup, or vice versa. It’s not as dominant as his fastball or slider, but the fact that Severino now has a good-enough third pitch allows him to keep hitters off balance and constantly guessing.  They know that they can’t just look for a fastball or a slider anymore, and the proof is in the statistics.

In 2016, Severino finished with 66 strike outs, making him only five away from tying last year’s mark in 2017. His WAR is also two full points higher than in 2016, and he’s averaging about two more strike outs than walks per inning.

Next: New York Yankees: the importance of Severino’s dominance

Luis Severino deserves all of the praise he’s getting this season for reinventing himself and becoming a pitcher that batter’s hate to face. His consistency fast fastball and his changeup have led him to be one of the best pitchers on the Yankees’ starting staff and one of the rising stars in the American League this season.